


Hunters' Prelude

by Depths



Series: In a mockery of recollection [4]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Blood, Dysfunctional Family, First Meetings, Gen, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Misunderstandings, Team as Family, Wild (Linked Universe) Angst, love that thats a tag lol, not all of them speak in this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-22
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:34:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26596117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Depths/pseuds/Depths
Summary: This new Hyrule was foreboding and strange. It's new Link even more so.
Relationships: Four & Hyrule & Legend & Sky & Time & Twilight & Warriors & Wild & Wind (Linked Universe)
Series: In a mockery of recollection [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1926892
Comments: 21
Kudos: 506





	Hunters' Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> part 2 of my LU feral!au. Takes place directly after Water Running Red, from Time's POV. Very short, but there'll be more.

Their newest companion was  _ gone.  _ Without a trace. Even the bloodstains of his footprints ended eventually, smeared to nothing in the long grass. Even with the amount of blood on him, the marks just left a short trail of gore through the underbrush. The dew on the leaves had wicked away enough thick, blackened blood to make the plants look corrupted and alien.

They had followed him by scent alone as long as they could–– Twilight could smell him up over the cliffs–– cliffs they had no more daylight to climb. A trail they had to wait to follow. 

There was no way any of them were about to risk wandering off in an unfamiliar land without any sort of guide. Still, making camp was a tense affair. Worse so, having to use the makeshift remains of whatever camp the monsters previously there had used. But in a new place with little to no proper gear, there was no complaining.

"He couldn't have gone far," Sky tried to soothe. His left hand had long since given him away, buried carefully in the worn fabric of his glider. It wasn't often their gentle ancestor had had someone run away from them. His face remained awkwardly pinched as if his face were not used to showing stress. "This place is so big–– too big. He didn't have a horse, either. He went up a  _ cliff, _ and we didn't see any gear on him. There's no way he had the energy to go any further, we should let him have his space..."

"So? He's the only one actually from here," Hyrule snapped. "Have you looked  _ around _ Sky?! This stupid place is  _ full _ of mountains and cliffs! I bet that was nothing, and he's long gone and we're never going to find him! Even if he  _ weren't _ far, he'd know where to hide, and even if you douse for him he'll just know where to hide next, and again, and again––"

They had been arguing for what felt like hours. Hours that could have been spent  _ searching _ .

Time stepped forward, steadfastly ignoring the squish of blood-soaked earth under his boots. He didn't like the way all of them cast uneasy glances at where the bodies of monsters used to be. At where their newest Link had been just moments ago. "Either way, we'll end up together. I doubt Hylia would just allow us to shift worlds without him, and he won't be the one lost in the next world."

It wasn't a comfort, and it wasn't meant to be. The newest Link would be traveling with them whether he consented or not. So was Hylia's demand. The best they could do was hunt him down and reach some sort of understanding that didn't include attacking each other.

Time carefully hid a scowl. They were all jumpy. They were all a little damaged. A little stained, a little sickly–– The Goddess' trials were not meant to be kind, though she continued to force them on them. But this Link hadn't even seemed to be able to differentiate them from the corpses under him. He wore black blood like armor, thicker than any warrior's paint, and his eyes watched them without seeing them. An animal in human skin. Were they meant to travel with that? Was that really supposed to be this world's hero?

But the sword had recognized him. Fi had led them right to the foot of his hand made massacre. Whatever Hylia had put him through, whatever she had put this world through–– it had left the kingdom and its hero in equal ruins.

Bitterness welled up in him, coldly sparking where it always did.

"Let's keep moving," Time said firmly. It was not a suggestion.

They never knew how much time they had until Hylia would take them again.

**Author's Note:**

> Im having way too much fun wreaking havoc just writing a ton of oneshots in a series instead of a multichaptered fic.... it's so freeing
> 
> As always, find me at [Leviathiane](https://leviathiane.tumblr.com) on tumblr


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